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China Ramping Up Arrests for Illegal Online Gambling

Published Monday, January 27, 2014 -
Online-Casinos.com

China has rules that prohibit online gambling and they have over the past few years made it clear tha there is little tolerance for the activity. In 2011 it was reported in the Chinese press that Beijing police kicked off two campaigns to round up gamblers profiting from betting websites during the World Cup, with 52 suspects detained.
Some of those suspects were convicted and punished with lengthy prison terms. One lawyer for the defendants said, "Online gambling is easy to participate in and hard to detect. Also, it attracts people from far away who can collect great amounts of money in a short time."

The government has not let up on its attempt to remove illegal online gambling in the vast domain. About 90 percent of offenders are males aged 25 to 30. A study discovered most of them usually use online banking services to transfer money, which increases the difficulty the police face in collecting evidence.

The rules have been upgraded regarding illegal online gambling to include "running a casino". In the past, offenders were simply given a slap on the wrist and a short spell in custody. The police in China have investigated 1,527 gambling cases and detained more than 5,300 suspects since the beginning of 2014 according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The Ministry of Public Security revealed the gambling cases were discovered in various provinces throughout the country. Clandestine gambling houses were being set up in rural neighbourhoods and suburbs and even in places of entertainment disguised as organized poker tournaments. The Ministry is calling for more cooperation from security officials in reporting organizers of poker or online gambling venues threatening criminal prosecution and harsh sentencing for those who did not.
Corruption and turning a blind eye are something the Chinese authorities are fighting as well as the difficult to detect illegal internet gambling operators.